Manufacturers, suppliers and service providers frequently issue discount coupons to attract and encourage potential consumers to purchase products and services (hereinafter collectively referred to as products). One objective of coupon issuance is to stimulate sales and boost revenue by drawing consumers to purchase specific products, and particularly, newly introduced products.
Conventionally, coupons can be distributed to consumers through mail, magazines, newspapers and other publications, and redeemed at local stores and retailers. With the exponential growth of the World Wide Web, manufacturers, suppliers and service providers have significantly increased the issuance of coupons over the Internet for consumers who purchase online or brick and mortar delivered products. Regardless of the delivery mechanism, a coupon traditionally contains transactional data such as product information, coupon value, expiration data, and other restrictions.
With the evolution of electronic coupons, the potential for coupon fraud also has increased. Sophisticated imaging techniques often can be used to create illegitimate coupons. Illegitimate coupons can contain tampered coupon values and expiration dates, and in some instances, completely phony promotions.